Server Start

Hexaverse requires servers to operate. While certain modes may appear as though no server was involved, as soon as units move, a server is always running in the background.

These servers are generally referred to as dedicated servers, even if they are running under the supervision of a client.

There are several ways to start a server:

1. Directly run the shipped server executable in [install dir]\server\server[ x86].exe. Execute with a --help runtime parameter to review other options (should be executed from a command line interpretor, e.g. cmd.exe).
2. Use the server manager.
3. Start a control console with the --server runtime parameter.
4. Use the 'Start local server...' on the server selection screen of a running visual client. The button provides three options:
   1. Start using the current global server configuration.
   2. Visually configure the server.
   3. Load a previously created save game.

Note that servers started via visual client will not survive closing the client.

Upon start up, it will load the current server configuration and initialize accordingly.

Save Games

The server manages all save games. If you are not hosting the server, then you cannot create or load save games.

Client Authentication

Clients are securely authenticated via Steam user ID. Only one faction may be controlled per Steam ID and client profile.

Logs

Regardless of how a server is started, it always creates a log file in game folder\server\logs\. In case of crashes, check these logs. The file used by a specific server can be queried using the /IO/logFile control console variable, or directly opened by the server manager.

NAT (Network Address Translation, i.e. Routers)

The server requires two TCP ports to operate which must be accessible to anyone attempting to connect via TCP. By default these are 10247 and 10248. If you are located behind a NAT router, and you wish others to connect to you via TCP, then these ports must be forwarded to your physical server.

Runtime Parameters

For the more proficient user, a number of runtime parameters allow customization of specific server/control console settings. Execute the respective program with the --help for a list of all switches.

If you wish to run multiple servers on the same system, then an adjustment of base ports is required. The current game base port is 10247. Starting from there, two more TCP ports are used (effectively: 10247, 10248, and 10249). The third port is used for localhost-only control console communication and need not be NATed, but must be accounted for. Consecutive servers should thus allocate base ports (via the -p [base port] parameter) in steps of 3.

External clients trying to connect must specify non-default base ports as additional address parameter (yourhost:baseport), e.g. localhost:20000, if 20000 is your non-standard server base port. LAN computers will automatically receive these ports via the UDP discovery function.

If the server was started first, then use the -p [base port] runtime parameter of a control console to connect to these servers. Otherwise, using this option in combination with -s will start the server on that port and establish a connection to it. E.g. ControlConsole.exe -p 20000 -s